Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1887-07-28
TEMPTATION OF JESUS.
EXPLANATORY NOTES BY REV. r.
S. M'ARTHUR, D. o.

Lesson v of the International Series
(Third QUARTER, for Sunday, July 81.
Text of the Lesson, Matt. iv, ILL.
Golden Text, Heb. ii, Is.
V. 1.-The temptation Immediately fol-
lowed the baptism. Led up Of the spirit; that
is, from the valley of the Jordan.
The Wilderness-This was probably the
wilderness of Judea or Jericho, which extend
ed toward the Jordan. Travellers still speak
of it as a dreary place.
v TASTED forty days-Luke iv, says
%he did eat nothing" This shows that his
fasting was as complete as that of Moses or
Elijah. His soul was so filed with great and
holy thoughts that the body for a time was
not subject to the laws of ordinary life.
V. g. When the tempter came.-There is
reason to believe that temptation in some form
continued during the whole period of forty
days The temptations named seem to have
been the last of series. They were probably
the fiercest of all. If thou be.-This suggests
doubt The words Of the Father at the bap-
tism were known to Satan. He did not un-
derstand the divinity Of Christ fully; but he
certainly knew that now his bitterest foe was
entering upon his work. Son IS here en-
phatic. The relationship suggested by the
word "Son' arrests the attention of the
tempter. He would inject doubt into Christ's
mind as to Gods love to him while suffering
thus. It is as if he would say, ''God seems
to have forgotten you. If you are his Son
he would not allow you thus to starve." Com
mand, ETC., and you will thus satisfy your
hunger and declare also that you are truly
the Son Of God. This is temptation to un-
hal;a ~ a,,I 70 he al of,
power to change the stones into bread Christ
possessed; but that power was an exalted
trust; it was to be used for other than merely
selfish purposes. Every man who is tempted
to use power of whatever kind for other pur-
poses than those for which the power was
given is feeling the force of this first tempta-
ton. Whoever betrays a trust, whether he
be the boy in an Office, or a man as the TRUSTEE
of great amounts and influence, falls before
this temptation. Here was an appeal to the
lust of the flesh. Whoever yields to drunk
enness, gluttony or to vile passions Of the
body is a victim to this temptation.
VA. Christ's reply is sublime. It is writ
ten. He did not use divine power to annihi-
late the tempter. Had he so done, his exam
pie would have been worthless to u.s. He did
not argue; one who parleys with Satan is al
ready partly under his power. Man Shall
Not Live, etc.-This is one of the profoundest
utterances of all literature. He cites from
Deut. viii, 8, where Moses, in giving mamma,
shows the people that life can be sustained,
not by bread alone, but by whatever God
chose to appoint-whatever comes from his
mouth
VS.. Then, etc.-Matthews order is diff
ferent from Luke's. He places this second
temptation last. The words "thenn and
again. in Matthew, seem to settle the ques-
ton as to the true order. There is a connec-
ton between the temptations, as given by
Matthew, which is valuable. The Devil
Taketh Him.-Satan had wonderful power
here for brief space. Did he carry Jesus
through the air? We do not know; but
in some way Christ went to Jerusalem, and
to pinnacle of the temple-possibly to the
side which overlooked the valley Of the Ked-
ron.
W. Cast thyself down, etc-By his
former device Satan sees that Jesus has faith
in God. He cannot lead Christ to distrust
the providence of his Father This fact gives
Satan hint; perhaps he can lead him to pre-
sumo on it and so crafty vanity. Jesus
quoted scripture in the former temptation;
Satan will quote scripture now. This is as If
he would say to Christ, Cast thyself down;
etc. Ps xci, II, IN. Satan misquoted the
passage-he garbled it; he shall ''keep thee in
all thy ways"-tbe ways OF Gods appoint
ment, and SO the ways of mans duty he
omitted Satan would make misapplica-
ton of the Scripture. Like many of his
followers now, he knew enough Scripture to
make this quotation false in spirit and false
in form.
W. Again comes Christs appeal to
ScriptuIe-Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy
God. This does ones soul good; it encour-
ages and cheers US in our fierce conflicts with
Satan. Christ does not correct his false ap-
plication of the previous Scripture; he simply
makes another quotation, showing that Satan
could not be right in his reference to the di-
vine word. Tempt, to put to the proof, to
test.
Vs8,9 The third temptation.-The second
time Satan is foiled No longer does he COM
mence with @If thou be, )" ETC. Now he has to
deal his master stroke. He will make his ap-
peal at once to what is in most men the most
vulnerable point of the soul-the appeal to
ambition, in connection with earthly power
and glory. He boldly urges Christ to fall
down and worship him. High mountain
What mountain? No one can tell. Some
have suggested Nebo, from one summit Of
which Pisgah) Moses had his sight Of the
promised land; some say the Mount of G ives;
others, Mount Quarantana. All the ring
doms.-By some striking legerdemain all the
Kingdoms, not those of Palestine alone, passed
in a panoramic vision before Christ. All
these, etc.-Satan could not keep this promise.
He is liar, and was such from the beginning
True, there is a sense in which he is "the
prince of this world, but not in the sense
which his words here suggest.
VS.. 10, IL Get thee hence.-Triumphan
wordsl Let them ring through the world for
ever Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God
Deut 6, 13).-Here is the true rule for every
man. Again Christ honors the written word.
Satan covers before his power, and leaves
him for a season. His false words may have
been often renewed in secret; they were terri
bly, renewed near the awful close of Christ's
life; but Satan never forgot that day in the
wilderness. Then his crown and his scepter
fell Had the second Adam fallen as did the
first, Satan's victory would have been COM
plete, and this wrebched world would have
been hopeless. Angels came.--Blessed COM
fortersi Christ needed them He stood be-
tween the chshing forces Of darkness and
light Satan's time was short, and he was
exceeding fierce. How could Christ be
temptedl We admit the mystery; we insist
on the reality Of the temptation. This was no
theatrical display; it was terrific conflict.
Satan's kingdom trembled in the balance. As
Goldman, Christ must be tempted that he
might know how to succor the tempted.
POINTS TO BE REMEMBERED.
l. Since Christ was tempted, no man may
expect to escape temptation
2 To US, as to Christ, temptations viii
come in time Of holiest enjoyment and loftiest
spiritual enthusiasm.
8. Like Christ, we may overcome. The
sword Of the spirit is ours, too. If we resist
the devil he will fee from US. All who enter
heaven enter as conquerorS
4. In the way of duty we may trust God
with our hearts; but we must not dare meet
Satan alone. Less than a match for Christ,
he is more than a match for us-Sunday